Paranoia

[Norfolk And Chance]

How do you deal with the idea that you will "fall asleep" in a dream without dreams someday and won't wake up? Although, when you hear world religions offering you a slav... I mean service to the Lord as alternative, it's as bad as being dead.

I know you put "fall asleep" in quotes but I don't like that comparison. It implies that your consciousness will now be trapped in darkness for all eternity. But that's not true. You just aren't going to exist. Your consciousness will cease to be. We can't imagine what it's like, because we can't recall experiencing non-experience, that's obviously impossible.

I'd be lying if I said I don't fear dying, i.e. no longer being able to live and experience life, but I have absolutely no fear of being dead or what's on the other side. Even as a child raised Catholic I never put too much thought into it.

IMO, anybody who has been under general anaesthetic will have a good idea what it's like to not exist any more. When you're unconscious you have no senses of anything - although your body is still living, "you" cease to exist during that unconsciousness. 

If you believe that what makes "you" is your consciousness, then take it away for two hours (under anaesthetic), or take it away for ever (death), the total non experience should be the same.

Alternatively think of the billions of years before you were born, which you weren't conscious of, and didn't exist in. If death is ceasing to exist, then it logically has to be the same when you die, as before you were born.

I'd say we all know too well what it's like to not exist - it's nothing - but many people can't or don't want to face up to it.